Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft

Young or old(er), it’s hard to resist bubble wrap. I know I still need to get a pop or two in whenever it’s around. It can also be a really neat craft supply, like on our Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft!

I love how the bubble wrap forms the colorful suction cups on the tentacles for our octopus in our Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft. It’s not the only ocean craft we’ve made with the help of bubble wrap, though. This Bubble Wrap Starfish Craft is a favorite summer craft.

For our Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft you will need to gather some cardboard. We simply cut up a shipping box. Then, you’ll need a sheet of bubble wrap. The remainder of the supplies include paint in a variety of colors, paper in white, black, purple, and blue, as well as scissors and a glue stick.

Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft

Supplies needed:

• Bubble wrap
• Cardboard
• Construction paper – blue, purple, white, and black
• Acrylic paint – blue, purple, and a variety of colors
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Pencil
• 1″ hole punch

Begin by smearing different colors of paint all over a sheet of bubble wrap. The sheet of bubble wrap needs to be larger than a sheet of construction paper.

Use any colors of paint you’d like for the tentacle suction cups. We used pink, purple, blues, oranges, yellow, red, green. Basically any paint color we had on hand. Paint on with a paintbrush, and don’t oversaturate the bubble wrap. Blot with a paper towel if too much paint.

Take a sheet of construction paper, purple or blue or whatever color you’re using for the tentacles, and press fully into the painted bubble wrap. Carefully lift off. Let dry completely.

While the paper is drying, cut an oval shape out of a sheet of cardboard for the main octopus.

Paint the cardboard. We painted one of our octopus shapes blue and another purple, using two different shades of each for added dimension. Let dry.

Cut 2 large circles from the white paper for each octopus. Also cut 2 black circles using either a 1” hole punch or with scissors.

Glue the black circles in the center of the white paper for the eyes.

Adhere the eyes in place on the octopus.

Now, cut the bubble wrap-pressed painted paper into 8 long strips.

Glue the strips to the back of the cardboard.

Curl the ends of the strips around a pencil.

This Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft is such a fun, colorful ocean craft for summer! Be sure to check out more of our fun summer craft ideas at Our Kid Things!